Stop Overthinking Leadership (Do These 3 Things Instead)

Ever feel like your brain is a browser with 100 tabs open? Same. Last week, I stared at my to-do list, wondering how I’d juggle it all without dropping the ball.

Here’s what I’ve learned: great leadership isn’t about doing everything perfectly—it’s about seeing clearly through the chaos. Let me share how I turned my overwhelm into clarity (and how you can too).

Let’s break it down.

The Good Stuff

You know that feeling when everything seems equally urgent? Let’s fix that. Here’s my personal survival guide to clearer thinking (and better sleep):

1. Get Brutally Honest About Your Goal
   I used to say yes to everything until I burned out spectacularly. Now, before I touch any project, I ask myself:

   • If I could only accomplish ONE thing this week, would this be it?

   Trust me, it changes everything. Quick tip: Write your main goal on a Post-it and stick it where you’ll see it. Mine’s on my coffee mug—because priorities come first, but coffee comes first.

2. Become a Professional Priority Bouncer
   Think of yourself as the bouncer at Club Success. Not everything gets in. Last month, I started using the “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no” rule. Game changer.

   Instead of having 10 mediocre projects, I now have 3 that are absolutely crushing it. Try this: List your current projects. Put a star next to the ones that genuinely excite you. Those are your VIPs.

3. Take Baby Steps (But Take Them Now)
   Remember when we downloaded fitness apps thinking we’d run a marathon by summer? Yeah, same with big projects. Break them down into tiny pieces.

   Example: Instead of "launch new product," try "spend 20 minutes drafting email to design team." It works because it’s doable right now.

Let me tell you about Sarah (not her real name, but a real story). She was running three departments, answering emails at 3 AM, and slowly losing her mind. Sound familiar?

One Tuesday, after finding herself in yet another “urgent” meeting about a non-urgent problem, she snapped—not in a bad way, but in an “enough is enough” way.

She did something radical: she blocked out her entire Wednesday calendar and spent it defining what actually mattered. Just one day of clarity changed everything.

• She identified her team’s three core priorities.

• She communicated them relentlessly (like, “to-the-point-of-being-annoying” relentlessly).

• She started saying “not right now” to everything else.

The Result? After 5 months, her team’s productivity shot up 40% in a month. The secret wasn’t working harder—it was finally having permission to focus on what mattered.

Leadership Lab Here’s how you can use L.A.T.T.E. this week:

Okay, here’s your 10-minute sanity check (I’m literally setting my timer as I write this—let’s do this together):

1. Grab your phone’s Notes app or a scrap of paper (no fancy journals needed).

2. Brain dump every single thing keeping you up at night (work stuff only—we’ll tackle life’s existential questions another day).

3. Pick your top 3. Ruthlessly. Like you’re choosing the last three cookies in the jar.

4. Everything else? Delegate, delay, or dump it. Yes, really.

Pro tip: I do this every Monday morning with my coffee. It’s become my favorite meeting of the week—just me, my caffeine, and brutal honesty about what matters.

Game-Changing Download: Personal Achievement Portfolio
Ready to shine in your next big meeting? This guide is your secret weapon for showcasing your wins like a pro. Perfect for those moments when you need to bring your A-game!

Must-Read: "Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want" - HBR
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Latest Pod Drop: "Navigating Career Challenges & Building Resilience" - The Winning Season
Catch me getting real about crushing it in male-dominated spaces and building that unshakeable confidence. It's like having a career pep talk in your pocket!

Pro Tip: Use the Personal Achievement Portfolio
Stop letting your wins go unnoticed! This framework helps you track and showcase your successes like a boss. Because if you don't tell your story, who will?

Winning and Learning (Celebrating Success and Growth)
💡 Win of the Week:Research shows leaders who prioritize tasks and set clear goals see remarkable results. Goal-setting improves worker performance by 12-15% even without financial incentives, while employees with role clarity are 53% more efficient and 27% more effective at work. 

When distractions are eliminated, interruptions that can reduce productivity by up to 40% are avoided. Your win this week? Focus. Start with one clear goal. Research demonstrates that specific, challenging goals significantly improve performance across various work contexts, and setting realistic goals helps reduce stress while providing a clear roadmap for success

Remember: resilience isn’t about avoiding adversity—it’s about showing up and growing through it.

Keep emulating excellence and eliminating excuses—it’s your winning season.

XoXo,
Jacqueline